Elgin cop faces additional, more serious DeKalb County charges of possessing child sex abuse videos

SYCAMORE – An Elgin cop charged after videos depicting child sexual abuse were found at his Kirkland home has been slapped with two additional, more severe charges while he awaits an appeal for release from the DeKalb County Jail.

Jordan M. Collins, 33, of Kirkland, appeared Tuesday morning for a status hearing virtually from the jail in Sycamore, where he’s been held without release since his Dec. 6 arrest. Collins did not speak during the hearing or appear to acknowledge DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick who presided.

Decatur-based defense attorney Jonathan Erickson, representing Collins, asked Buick for more time to review new charges filed Monday against the man who’s been an Elgin police officer for five years. Collins was indicted on new charges filed in conjunction with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, according to court records.

Collins has been additionally charged with two class X felony counts of possession/reproduction of child pornography, and three more class 2 felony counts of child pornography, on top of five initial counts of child pornography.

Collins was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday. Amid the new charges and appeal for release, however, his arraignment was set instead for 9:45 a.m. Jan. 4.

Erickson told Buick Tuesday he wanted time to review the new charges and review evidence against his client amid Collins’ motion for release, which was filed Dec. 13. Class X felonies involving sexual violence are detainable under the new Illinois SAFE-T Act provisions, which prohibits cash bail.

“Everybody’s still getting used to these new rules, at least I am,” Erickson said.

Illinois State Police arrested Collins Dec. 4 at the Elgin Police Department when he showed up for work, according to DeKalb County court records filed Dec. 6. During a police interview from the DeKalb County Jail that night, he declined to answer their questions and requested an attorney, according to court records.

Collins has not entered a plea as of Tuesday.

A police search of a Collins’ Kirkland home earlier this month uncovered numerous firearms and ammunition, ready-to-eat survivalist meals and computer equipment containing hours worth of videos depicting child sexual abuse, police said.

Police alleged they found four videos depicting sexual abuse against children on a USB drive inside Collins’ home, and one two-hour, 14-minute-long video depicting sexual abuse against children on a black Acer laptop, according to court records.

Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley previously said Collins was placed on administrative leave immediately following his arrest, “with additional action expected following review of the criminal charges.”

Elgin Deputy Chief Adam Schussler said Tuesday that Collins remained employed with the department, and is on paid administrative leave.

Deputy Bureau Chief Shannon O’Brien is prosecuting the case for the Illinois Attorney General’s office’s High Tech Crimes Bureau, along with prosecutor Scott Schwertley of the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office.